Refrigerator-car



(No Model.)

B. P. ADAMS.

' REPRIGERATOR GAR. No. 433,759. Patented Aug. 5, 1890.

lli JE CWI ` UNITED STATES PATENT Orricn.

BENJAMIN F. ADAMS, OF BROOKLYN, NEV YORK.

REFRlGERATOR-CAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 433,759, dated August 5, 1890.

Application filed October 9,1889. Serial No. 326,519. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

.Beit known that I, BENJAMIN F. ADAMS, a cltizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Refrigerators more particularly adapted to Refrigerator-Cars; an d I do hereby declare that the following' is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, which will enable others to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention has for its object, first, to separate the metallic ice-tanks from each other in such a manner as to increase the refrigeratlng-surface and properly support and brace the metallic ice-tanks; second, to enable the lower section of the tank to be removed for cleaning the tank, and, third, to enable the waste water to be conducted in line with the wall to the outside of the car.

Myinvention further consists in the novel construction and combination of parts, which will be iirst fully described, and then specifically pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a broken perspective interior View of the end of a refrigeratorcar to show the tanks and the sectional end portion and the water-gutter in the floor. Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view through the car and tanks, showing the corrugated air-ducts. Fig. 3 is an alternate View of the air-circulating ducts surrounding the tanks. Figli is a side view of one of theI tanks, showing removable end section and separatinglever.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

' In carrying out 1nyinventio11,A represents a refrigerating end portion of a refrigeratorcar.

a 1s the end portion, and ct the side portion, of the car.

a2 is the iioor of the car. Upon the licor a2 vertical ice-tanks C C, which tanks are placed a suitable distance from the inner portions of the sides and ends of the car to form between said tanks and sa-id portions of the car the vertical air spaces or chambers c c. Said tanks C C are also placed a suitable distance from each other to form vertical air spaces or chambers e2. The tanks C C are open at the upper endportion and are suspended at said end portion t-o the upper or transverse carlings or rafters D in the top portion of the car in any suitable manner.

The tanks C O are composed of metal sheets, affording a large radiating-surface- Between the inner side and end portions of the car and the tanks are extended the vertical condensing-plates E', which are corrugated, the lines of which corrugations are extended in a vertical direction, forming the parallel airducts e c, which are open near the top and bottom of the car. In the space or chamber` c2 between the tanks C C is then arranged one or more vertical condensing plates or braces c3, which are suitably attached .to and extend in atransverse direction from the side of one tank to the side of an adjacent tank and open at the top and bottom, forming between said adjacent tanks and plates the air-ducts c4, and an air-duct is formed in this manner, always having one or both of its sides in direct contact with the side of the tank next to the ice, Within which duct an increased refrigerating-surface is obtained. The strips or plates forming the divisions to the air-ducts are made. from cuttings or trimmings of metal, thereby greatly diminishing the cost of construction and at the saine time provide the necessary chambers.y Each V-shaped re-enforcing plate, which is my preferred construction, is provided at its edges with lateral iianges, which afford means for expeditiously and rigidly securing the plate to the Wall of the tank. This form of plate is also importantin view of its reduced cost and the facility with which it can be manufactured and other obvious advantages in addition to that herein pointed out.

The lower end portion of the tanks C extend in a downward direction within a short distance of the grate B. The bottom portion of each tank C is composed of a separate removable section C, which rests upon the grating IOO B. Upon the outer side and extending around the lower end portion of the tank C is fitted a band E. To the side of the tank C is pivotally attached one end of the respective toggle-levers e' e. The other end portions of said levers are pivotally attached to the outer side portion of the band E. Y To the toggle-levers e c at their pivotal point of attachment with each other is attached a horizontal operatinglever e. In the floor of the car, beneath the grating B and extending around the line of the walls composing the ends and sides of the car, is made a depression or gutter F. Said gutter F is provided with an opening j in the floor of the car, communicating with the gutter, and, as is obvious,va proper inclination may be given to said gutter, in order that the Waste water may flow in the direction of the opening f. j

The ice in my invention is dumped through suitable hatchways (shown in the drawings) in the roof of the car into the tanks C C, and the sides of the tanks, under the weight which results in the -fall of large masses of ice, is prevented from bulging out the sides of the tank by means of the transverse plates c3,be

tween which is formed the refrigerating airducts. In Fig. 3 I have shown, in place of the corrugated plates between the sides and end portion of the car and the tanks, atransverse partition, which may be V-shaped, as shown, and which increases transversely the surface of the air-ducts. The corrugated plates, however, which form sides to the airducts, provide within the same space an equalizing air and refrigerating surface. Vhen the separate bottom portion of the tank requires cleaning, the lever e is pulled in a horizontal direction7 which draws the pivoted parts of the toggle-joint toward each other,

and the band E is raised from the position surrounding the section C', and the said section may then be removed. This obviates the necessity of l1and-holes,wl1ich have hitherto been provided in order to get at the bottom of the ice-tank, and are hard to open and close, liable to leak, and prevents the thorough cleaning ot the tank.

The dripping brine from the meat usually carried in refrigerator-cars in my improved car, as well as the water condensed in the airducts, runs directly into the gutter, instead of escaping from the car through the cracks and corners and rotting the timbers.

. scribed.

2. In a refrigerator adapted for refrigerator-cars, the combination, with two adjacent tanks, of a series of V-shaped plates located between said tanks in the direction of the length thereof, each V-shaped plate being anged and united at its base to one of the tanks and arranged to form an air-duct between its two sides and the wall ot' one of the tanks, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. In a refrigerator adapted for refrigerator-cars, the combination of a series of icctanks, the vertical plat-es located between two adjacent tanks of the series in contactv with the walls of the tanks and arranged to form a series of air-ducts between the plates, said air-ducts being open at top and bottom, and a metallic casing surrounding the series of tanks collectively and having the longitudinal corrugations, which form a series of airducts c2 between'the casing, the series of 4. A refrigerator ice-tank provided with a removable lower section, the wall of which is in line with the wall of the tank, a sliding band fitted exteriorly on the tank and adapt.- ed, when depressed, to'fit over the upper end of the lower section of said tank, and means for moving the band vertically, substantially as described.

5. In a refrigerator ice-tank having a movable lower section, a movable band connecting the upper and lower sections of the said tank, and a lever adapted to move said band on said tank, for the purpose described.

BENJAMIN F. ADAMS.

IVitnesses:

S. L. C. HAssoN, W. M. CoYLE.

IOO 

